Toy building-block



W. S. SHIELDS.

TOY BUILDING BLOCK.

. APPLICATION FILED mm. s, 1920.

1,385,154, Patented July 19, 1921.

a SHEETS-SHEET x.

INVENTOR WITNESSES v 1 5 5H/ELD-5,

W. S. SHIELDS.

TOY BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.8,1920.

1,385,154, Patented July 19,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' INVENTOR a" momvns W. S. SHIELDS.

TOY BUILDING BLOCK. APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1920.

Patented uly INVENTO/j 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

means of which many different umrsos'rArps gsnr OFFICE- WILLIAM SCOTTSHIELDS, 0F .TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

TOY BUILDING-BLOCK.

Application filed March 8,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Scorn SHIELDS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Trenton, in the countyof Mercer and State ofNew certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Building-Blocks, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in toy building blocks, and has for itsobject to provide blocks of the character specified by be constructed,as, or instance, buildings,

vehicles, terrestrial, aerial and marine, as

well as many other different devices, by merely connecting the blocks,which will be made in various shapes and sizes.

a In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a wagon;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the floor and corner posts of a structure;

Fig. 3 is a-front view ofa windmill; Fig. 4.- is a perspective view of awheel; Fig. 5 is a view looking from the inner side of anotherembodiment of wheel;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one form of block Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10are similar views of other forms of blocks;

Fig. 11 is an end view ment.

The improved blocks are designed to be marketed in sets, the number and.character of the blocks in a set, and the accessories, depending uponthe price at which the set 's to be sold, and it will be obvious thatmany diflerent combinations might be formed. In each set there should bea base block or plate 1 of the character shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thisplate has upon one face a series of transverse grooves or kerfs 2,

which extend through approximately half of a wheel arrangethe thicknessof the plate, the said grooves being spaced apart from each other andparallel, as shown, and extending through the side edges of the plate.

On the opposite face there is provided a series of longitudinallyextending grooves or kerfs 3 which are arranged close together and whichextend the full length of the plate, being of a depth equal to half thethickness of the plate. These grooves orkerfs 3 are of the same width asthe ribs 4 which are formed between the grooves or kerfs so that theribs or tongues onother Specification of Letters Patent.

Jersey, have invented articles may ing of the grooves If, for instance,

Patented July 19, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 363,970.

blocks to be described will fit in the kerfs or grooves.

At each end of the plate kerfs 3 are cut through to the upper face, asclearly shown in F 1, to form a series of tongues 5 at each end of theplate, the cones extending the full width of the plate and being of adepth about equal to the thickness of the plate. These tongues are ofthe same thickness as the ribs 4, being, in effect, continuations of theribs.

The plate 1 may be used as a base or foundation and it will be obviousthat a similar plate or plates might be used for end walls and roof in ahouse structure. Other blocks are provided of the character shown inFigs. 3 and 6. These blocks 7, which are in the form of a bar or beam,are provided upon each face with a series of longitudinally extendinggrooves or kerfs 8 which form between them ribs 9, the spacor kerfscorresponding to that of the ribs and grooves of the block 1.

At each end the grooves or kerfs 8 on the opposite faces of the blockare connected so that tongues 10 are formed at each end of the block,corresponding in size to the tongues 5 of Fig. 1. The block 7 is alsoprovided with a series of transverse grooves 11 on each face, thegrooves on one face registering with those on the other face, and theseregistering grooves are connected by grooves or kerfs 12 on the sideedges of the block. These grooves or kerfs 12 are of a depth equal tothe aggregate width of two tongues, and the groove between them. It Willbe obvious that the blocks 7 may be of any desired width and length,correspond ing, however, preferably inlength, to the length of the block1, and having a width which is preferably contained in the width of theplate 1 an equal number of times. the plate 1 has a width of ten inches,the plate 7 might have a width equal to two inches.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a block 13 having the grooves or kerfs 141 onits opposite faces, forming the ribs 15 between them, and having at itsends the tongues 16 corresponding to the tongues 5. This block 13 hastransverse cuts or kerfs 17 in its opposite side edges, which are in thepresent instance of considerable depth, havlng, in fact, a depthcorresponding to the aggregate width of three ribs and three grooves.

In Fig. 8 there is shown a bar 18 of a 1 the grooves or widthcorresponding to the thickness of the blocks 1, 7 and 13, which blocksare of the same thickness and have a thickness corresponding to thethickness of one of the ribs of either block. This bar is provided ateach end with tongues 19, which are of a length equal to or littlegreater than the thickness of the blocks 1,7 7 and 13 and are spaced sothat the said tongues will fit into the grooves of the blocksl, 7 and13. This bar 18 is provided at regular intervals with series of slots 20extending longitudinally thereof, and of a length somewhat greater thanthe width of the bar 18, and which are designed to .receive'the tongues5, or 16 of the blocks 1, 7 and 13 or the tongues 19 of other bars 18.It will be understood that the bars 18 may be of any desired length andmay be of various lengths.

' In Fig. 9 there is shown a plain plate or bar 21 having a widthcorresponding to the thickness of the plate 1, and a thicknesscorresponding to that of one of the ribs 1.

These plates 21 may be provided in various 25 lengths and it is obviousthat they might also be of various widths, being multiples,

however, of the width of the plate shown,

that is. of the thickness of the block 1. r

In Fig. 10 there is shown a bar 22 somewhat similar to the bar 18 inthat it has the tongues 23at its ends and a series of slots 24intermediate its ends, corresponding in sizeand arrangement to the slotsof the.

bar 18. This bar 23 is merely a variation of the bar 18, the distancebetween the tongues 23 and the slots 24 being about equal to the widthof the bar 22.

The improved blocks are connected by inserting the tongues 5, 10, 16, 19or 23, as the case may be, into the kerfs or grooves 3, 18 or 141-, orinto the slots 20 or 24 or into the spaces between the tongues 5, 10,16, 19 or 23, and it will be evident that many different structuresmight be built in this way Without the use of any connecting means,other than the tongues, grooves and slots.

"Wheels form a part of certain combinations,

two species of wheels being provided, one ofwhich is shown in Fig. l, at25, and the other in Fig. 5, at 26.

The wheel shown in Fig. 4 has secured to one face thereof a block '27which is provided at one end with a series of longitudinally extendingtongues 28, and at the other with another series 28 which, however,

. have their planes at right angles to the series 28. These tongues areof a length corresponding closely to the depth of the grooves 3 and theyare designed to engage suchgrooves. This block 27 also has a transversekerf or groove 29 intermediate its ends, and on the face remote from thewheel which is designed to receive any of the other blocks which may fitwithin the same.-

This wheel 25 is also provided with inclined radial cuts or keris 30 inits peripheral edge, the plane of the cuts being in clined to the axisof the wheel in the same direction, and these keris or cuts 30 aredesigned to receive, for instance, the ends of the plate 21 to form apropeller wheel or a wind-wheel of the character shown in Fig. :1.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the wheel 25 is pivoted to theblock 27 by means of a screw 31 or the like, which passes through anaxial opening in the wheel and engages the block. A washer 32 isarranged on the screw beneath the head. In placing the, wheel 25 thetongues 28 are engaged with the tongues 10 of the block 7. This bringsthe plane 01? the wheel parallel with the plane of the block 7 The wheel26 shown in Fig. 5 is a plain wheel secured to a block 33, which has thetongues 34: and. also has the transverse groove 35 corresponding to thegroove 29 of Fig. .4. The wheel 26 is pivoted to the block 33 by meansof a screw 36 which has a washer 37 arranged between the head of thescrew and the wheel. By inserting the tongues 28 or 34:, as the case maybe, at the ends of the blocks 27 or 33 between the tongues 5, 10 or 1.6,or within the grooves 3, 8 and 14, the blocks 33 may be connected to theblocks 1, 7 or 13, to form a wagon or other vehicle. This term ofconstruction is shown in Fig. 1, wherein four of? the wheels 26 areconnected to the block 1, a pair of wheels being arranged at each sideedge of the block. The tongues 3a of the blocks are in this instanceengaged with the grooves 3.

In Fig. 3 a windmill construction is shown, the block 7 being connectedwith the block 1 either at one end or on the center. If connected in thecenter the tongues 10 would engage with the grooves 3, while itconnected at the ends the tongues 10 would engage with the tongues 5.The wheel 25 is mounted at the top of the block 7 which forms the towerfor the windmill, by engaging the tongues 28 with the tongues 10. Itwill be understood that the plates 21 will be provided in sets ofdifierent lengths and this is true also of the bars or plates 18 and 22.A set, for instance, might consist of one block 1, five blocks 7 whichmight be packed directly on the upper face of the block 1, enough blocks12 to make another layer, and the attachments, such as the bars orblocks 18, 21 and 22, and the wheels 25 and 26.

The improved blocks may be cheaply constructed and sold at reasonableprice, no metal being necessary except the screws 36, and it is obviousthat these might be replaced with wooden journal pins, if desired. Manydifferent combinations may be Worked of the block as out from even a fewblocks and a set of blocks would furnish endless amusement to a child.

All of the tongues of all of theblocks are flexible and the transversegrooves 2 and 11 intersect the grooves on the opposite face so thatopenings are provided at these points. This increases the flexibilityand elasticity a whole. The tongues at the ends of the blocks providefor dove-tailing of the blocks together.

claim:

1. A block of the character ing upon one face a series of longitudinallyextending grooves forming between them ribs of equal thickness and witha thickness e ual to the thickness of the grooves, said b ocks having attheir ends tongues forming continuations of the ribs between thegrooves, and having transverse grooves or kerfs on both faces of theblock and intersecting said first named grooves, the grooves and tonguesbeing adapted for engagement by similar grooves and tongues onaccessories.

2. A block of the character specified having upon one face a series oflongitudinally extending grooves forming between them ribs of equalthickness and with a thickness equal to the thickness of the specifiedhavgrooves, said blocks having at their ends tongues formingcontinuations of the ribs between the grooves, and having transversegrooves or kerfs on both faces of the block and intersecting said firstnamed grooves 3. A block having longitudinal grooves on one face andtongues at its ends, and having cross grooves on the other face.

4. A block having longitudinal rooves on one face and tongues at itsends, said tongues being continuations of the ribs formed between thegrooves, and cross grooves on the other face, said grooves on the twofaces meeting at their bottoms.

5. A block having on one face parallel grooves forming ribs between thegrooves and having tongues at the ends which are continuations of theribs and having a series of grooves on the other face extendingperpendicular to the first named grooves.

6. A block having longitudinal grooves on one face and tongues at itsends and having on the other face cross grooves, the grooves and theribs formed between the grooves being of the same width, and the tonguesbeing continuations of the ribs, said tongues and ribs bein flexible andresilient.

WILLIAM gCOTT SHIELDS. .itness:

ARTHUR W. BITTING.

